By Olusola Faboya
In the definition of democracy, as a concept and system of earthly governance, the central role and relevance of the human creature, is made very clear! It is a system of earthly governance, that was conceived out of the human mind, run by human wisdom, with all its evident limitations; to subserve the perceived needs and capricious wants of human creatures!
It can be said, arguably, that of all the systems of earthly governance, contrived out of the narrow confines of the human mind, democracy seems to be the most healthy. It espouses the rule of law, equality before same… freedom of speech and freedom for citizens to reach their potentials, without any arbitrarily imposed constraints. These distinguishing features, contrast the realities in Communist/Socialist countries on earth!
The sobering truth is that fundamentally, the institutions of Governance and Leadership, in real terms, are vibrant features of the Outworking of the Creative Will… and do not really have their origin, in the minds of human creatures.
The two Institutions of have their origin, sublimely above the human creature. In this connection, it would be instructive to point out solemnly, that indeed… Creation, in which human creatures have been permitted a home, has an Owner… to Whom, Creation itself in its peculiar features and all movements, processes and happenings therein, can be directly traced and linked. For example, the Sun does not rise from the East everyday, through a motion or resolution passed on the floor of any legislative parliament on earth… but it rises at the bidding, leave and benediction granted by that Owner of Creation! Incidentally, human beings must unmistakably recognize Who, that Owner is… an owner Whom they have not rightly come to know, in His very consistent Ways. We all undoubtedly, know His Name!
Democracy, in contemporary context, can aptly be portrayed essentially, as human self-rule on Earth, from which the aforementioned Owner-of-Creation have been defiantly excluded, wittingly and unwittingly! However, an unfortunate irony it is, when elected legislators and leaders are now to be sworn in at their oath-taking ceremony… they end the oath saying, “So help me God” …
One then wonders, who that emergency God could be… who earlier on, was not privy to, nor part of the processes of party nominations, primaries and the elections! And how come He came to be factored into the process at the oath-taking end? A God at the oath-taking end? … What a God, that could be switched on, just like a switch for electric bulbs on the wall! This procedural practice is patently, a sacrilegious mockery of the Divine, and the politicians are not aware of the grave consequences of this. What greater proof of a convoluted and lost world, do we look for… a world reeling in sustained disconnect from Nature and All that lies antecedently above Nature! And this is massive and stupendously awesome!
Historical antecedents regarding the evolution of the concept and philosophy of Democracy, could be traced somehow, to ancient Greek philosophers, who could thus be regarded as the proponents and protagonists of the concept! Be that as it may, a more concrete scenario in the recorded history of the Israelites, has provided us, an instructive background-knowledge and picture of the blatant human prodigality that circumscribes and seemingly birthed the concept of democracy.
It happened on a fateful day, in the recorded history of the Israelites, that a bunch of apparently misguided rabble-rousers (they probably have had tots of a local Gin) confronted the aged Samuel – the last of the Judges… and demanded that they be given a King, like other peoples, who were their neighbours! Samuel found this preposterous demand, rather unbecoming, insolent and defiant of the Guidance-from-Above, that had faithfully led them out of serfdom in Pharaonic Egypt! Interestingly, they succeeded in ramming their way through… and indeed “procured” a King, in Saul, who supposedly defied divine ordinance later and died subsequently with his son, on the same day! The issue of succession from Father-to-Son, thus got settled providentially and could not arise
The instructive and eye-opening lesson, in this epochal historic happening became clear, when David later emerged as King. In retrospect, the earlier ill-timed demand for a king by those “concerned“ democratic zealots, who wanted government of the people… by the people and for the people, was insolently pre-emptive of divine “timing” and for whoever cares to know, it became abundantly clear, at the end of the day whose exclusive prerogative it is, at all times… to choose Leaders, who will preside over the running of the machinery of governance, in the human communities on Earth!
Democracy, insidiously evolved in the thinking of human beings, as a political expedient, when monarchies had failed monumentally, to galvanise people along the path of spiritual growth, pristine morality and ennoblement! Uprisings, revolts and revolutions, had to take place in the course of history, when kings became ruthless dictators and could not bring up benevolent predisposition and visionary leadership, toward the people whose welfare and wellbeing, should be their primary concern and responsibility.
Over time, the monarchy system lost credibility irretrievably… paving the way for the seeds-of-democracy to be sown on the soil already conditioned by the failure of the monarchy system of governance. It is an irrefutable fact of history, for example, that Queen Elizabeth I, in England, substantially funded Trans-Atlantic slave trade in the eighteenth century. This negative disposition from a royalty runs antithetical, to the obligations of her position. The seeds of democracy sprouted, blossomed and bore varied fruits, in politics which espoused the elective process in the choice of leaders and the compromise-approach, in evolving and shaping of policies! For instance, if plain idiots make up, the majority in a human community, it is the ‘best’ idiot that would emerge as leader in that community! The blind would thus be leading the blind! Then where, would they all end up? The direction of the Outworking of the Creative Will is for human creatures on earth to get the leader they need, for ennobling edification…such as would foster and drive their innate volition to develop and mature to the desired nobility-of-spirit… This, in contradistinction to the leader a people deserve (thrown up in homogeneity) whose reliability, integrity and commitment, cannot really be vouched for! A world-of-difference… indeed exists, between the two – a leader, that a people need, through higher guidance from Above; and a leader, a people deserve… thrown up by devious schemes, subtle calculations, sentiments and selfish ambitions.
It is appropriate at this point to reveal the irrefutable truth that … the purpose of human existence in material Creation… on the Earth-plane precisely, is primarily to develop and mature conclusively into such conscious human creatures, as would condition the Earth-plane to glow exquisitely in ennoblement, to thus reflect the paradisiacal beauty and splendour of the Man’s actual point-of-origin, which lies in the higher realms of this glorious Creation! To date, and regrettably, this ideal has not happened. Rather, the Earth, looked at from Above… is as repulsive to discerning eyes, as an unkempt pig-stable! Mankind has failed abysmally, to uplift the Earth-plane, due to human willfulness, moral depravity and a knowing-better predisposition! Man’s fateful disconnect from Nature, is at the root of inclement weather catastrophes, environmental degradation and radical climate change, which is a source of concern, for discerning people all over the World!
Let it be known and acknowledged, that it is only in a spiritually disconnected world, as has been the case for millennia that Democracy can evolve and be sustained this long! Signs and indications are seen everyday, that the ethical and moral demands on those to drive and operate the machinery of governance as leaders are high! Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore, comes to mind, as an exception, when he succeeded in transforming a third-world Singapore, to a first-world country. His intervention in the lives of his people, can be likened to that of Moses, in the lives of the Israelites. Behind Moses was solidly, the Divine! Based on the phenomenal and ineffaceable imprints on the lives of Singaporeans, the Power that threw him up… regardless of the process cannot be different from that, which raised the legendary Moses up! It was said of Lee Kuan Yew… that he was constrained at a point to lock up elite felons, without trial-those that committed heinous infractions against the State. Infractions such as massive fraud, corrupt enrichment and diversion of State resources! He had zero tolerance for corruption. To lock up a felon without trial in the West, would be met with much hue and cry!
In contemporary times, the United States of America… a great country in its own right, is the leading protagonist of democratic philosophy and values in the world. In the name of democratic values, America had gone to war many times, outside its shores, to defend and impose those values! Ironically…recent political developments in Uncle Sam’s country, are forebodingly bewildering and are downrightly ominous! The present leadership of that great country, seems to be riding roughshod and deliberately trampling, on long-held democratic values, and the justice system; to the bewilderment and consternation of Americans! The citizens wake up everyday stupefied by what they see, hear and experience! It has been rather nightmarish, for a good number of them! They never anticipated it. Democracy is literally… on trial, in the court of the American citizens. Will it thrive?
Without wanting to sound uncharitable and pessimistic… it is very unlikely, that the United States of America will be able to come out of the on-going constitutional quagmire… without a blistering trauma in blood, bruises, tears and sweat which must certainly leave, reminding wound-marks on the psyche of hapless Americans! This experience awaits every American, judging from what is currently going on.
After that… the citizens of that great country, may begin to take a second look at the man-made phenomenon… the intellectual contraption called Democracy… its spiritual validity, its merits and demerits; and begin to ask burning questions, which no one around, may be able to answer adequately and convincingly, because of the needed spiritual perspective! Such unanswered questions must then begin to burrow retroactively and deeply, into the souls of those concerned citizens, who are honestly demanding credible answers! What then happens?
Democracy will inevitably enter into a limbo… having been thoroughly degraded to the point that the citizens may begin to experience a distaste for it, as a system of governance! And as they look up (intuitively), they could see… the dimming sunset of Democracy, circumscribed by a solemn proclamation, which explicitly and unequivocally says… GOVERNANCE BELONGS TO THE DIVINE… CREATION HAS ETERNAL OWNER… Period!
- Olusola Faboya could be accessed through
@solafaboya@gmail.com
